Retired nurse of over 50 years returns to work to help combat coronavirus

Lucille McKenna, former Councillor for Sydney's Inner West, retired last year after working as a nurse for 50 years.

However, as coronavirus cases continue to climb in Australia, the dedicated nurse has returned to work to help combat the spread and flatten the curve.

In an announcement this week, more than 40,000 retired Australian medical professionals - including doctors, nurses and pharmacists - were encouraged to come out of retirement and assist in the country's battle against COVID-19.

Lucille McKenna has left retirement to provide vital services as a nurse amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Facebook)

A sub-register, designed to re-employ medical professionals who have retired in the past three years, was launched by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.

CEO Martin Fletcher highlighted that the addition of thousands of workers could relieve the pressure on Australia's already strained medical system,.

"Even if we get only five per cent or 10 per cent of practitioners wanting to stay on the sub-register, we're talking about somewhere between 2,000 to 4,000 additional practitioners available to the health system," he said.

Of the 32,000 nurses already registered, McKenna is one of them.

Former colleague Mayor Darcy Byrne announced his admiration for McKenna in a tweet on Thursday.